Former Hackensack High School football star Ausar Walcott (41) has been released by the Cleveland Browns after Passaic police charged him with attempted murder earlier this week.
(Photo courtesy of Cleveland.com)

Walcott, 23, is being held on $500,000 bail at the Passaic County Jail in Paterson after punching a man outside The Palace Gentlemen's Club on Main Avenue in Passaic early Sunday morning, according to police.

The victim, 24-year-old Derrick Jones, was taken to a hospital in Harlem, where he was listed in critical condition, according to The Record.

While starring at Hackensack, Walcott earned a scholarship to the University of Virginia, where he played linebacker between 2009 and 2012. He entered the NFL Draft but was not selected, perhaps partially due to character concerns stemming from a brief suspension following a fight near James Madison University in early 2011.

However, he was signed by the Browns last month and participated in the team's recent rookie minicamp.